Rest, Recover and Regenerate
Dr. Greg Wells
In the #hustle culture of manic busyness, it can be hard to remember the basic facts about personal growth. Mentally and physically, human beings are built to adapt to stress, but it will not happen if we don’t take time to rest and recover. That’s when the growth occurs. We cannot grow, let alone heal, if we are constantly on the go.
One of the most effective articulations I have seen of this principle is in an amazing book called Peak Performance by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness. It's really cool because they came up with a simple formula for performance that is incredibly powerful: stress plus rest equals growth.
So often, in the name of excellence, we skip the rest part. We just can’t. If you are seeking optimal health and performance, you need to hardwire rest into your life and work.
A great example is el Bulli, a restaurant in Spain that was the focus of an incredible book called A Day at el Bulli. While it was open, the restaurant was widely considered the best in the world and had two million annual requests for reservations. The book is stunningly beautiful. It goes into the insights, ideas, methods and creativity of Chef Ferran Adrià. It’s a deep dive into all of the restaurant’s processes, right from thinking about what the menu is going to be, to creating the tools they're going to use, sourcing the ingredients and delivering an unbelievable experience.
But get this: el Bulli was closed for six months a year. The most successful restaurant in the world and it was only open half the year. Whoa. That’s a serious commitment to stress plus rest equals growth. The team would spend half the year deconstructing, planning, learning and creating.
We all need time to recover, regenerate and grow. To make it happen, I suggest following my one, two, three principle.
One hour a day deliberately activating your parasympathetic nervous system through easy cardio, meditation, journaling or a great meal with your family. That's a daily commitment to your recovery and regeneration. Simply – do something every day that makes you better.
Two days (one weekend) every month totally, completely and utterly disconnected. No contact whatsoever with any technology. You'll be amazed. You'll get to Monday morning in the office and no one will notice you were offline. Meanwhile, you will feel a renewed sense of clarity and energy.
Three consecutive weeks off once a year. Collect your loved ones and go. Get off the grid. Disconnect. Go deep into a place of restoration. My wife Judith and I spent several years taking our family to a spot we found on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. Just go. If you want some help figuring out how to rethink vacations check out my previous article in the Leadership Lab.
If you are like most people, you don’t need to work at it to add stress and challenge to your life. But if you are like most people, the amount of time you spend focused on rest and recovery could use some attention.
